Poultry-crate.



D. TURNER.

POULTRY CRATE.

APPLIoATIoN-rILBD AUG. 27, 190s.

91 4,323 Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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rsRs co., wasmmznmnxA DANIEL TURNER, OF KI UNTTFD? STATES FATENT FFMEFL.

NGFISHER, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR,

MENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO C. H. HALLADAY, OF KINGFISHER, OKLAHOMA.

POULTRY-CRATE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application led August 2'7, 1908. Serial No. 450,453.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, DANIEL TURNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kinglisheiy in the county ci' Kingfisher and State ofOklahoma, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements inFoultry-Orates; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in poultry crates.

The object of the invention is to provide a poultry crate having anlimproved construction of door adapted to be opened at either end of thecrate and having means whereby when one end is opened, the other will beclosed.

A further object is to provide an improved bracing mechanism whereby thesides of the crate are rigidly supported and braced.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the crateconstructed in accordance with the invention, one end of the door beingshown open; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view taken through the door; Fig. 4 is a verticaltransverse sectionalview on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 Fig. 5 is a similarview on the line 5-5 of' Fig. similar view on the line 6-6 of' Fig. 1.

Referring more particularlyT to the drawings, 1 denotes the crate whichis here shown as constructed of slats, but which may be formed of anysuitable material. The crate consists of a top, 2, sides, 3, ends, 4,and a bottom, 5.

The sides, 3, of the crate are preferably in the form of oblong frames,the lower side pieces, 6, of which project below the bottom, 5, and formrunners upon which the crate maybe drawn over the ground and by meansoi' which the Hoor or bottom of the crate is held above the ground orsurface upon which the crate rests, thus protecting the bottom againstwear and breakage. The sides, 3, are connected together at each end byupper and lower cross pieces, 7, to which the end slats are secured toform the ends, 4, of the crate. To the lower cross piece, 7, is nailed1; and Fig. 6 is a or otherwise secured the opposite ends of the ioorboards which form the bottom, 5.

To the upper. cross piece, 7, of the ends are secured the opposite endsof the top slats, 8, which form the top of the crate, said slats beingfurther held at their ends by cross slats, 9, as shown. The slats 8 aresupported midway between their ends by upper' and lower cross strips 10,between which said strips are secured at suitable distances apart. At asuitable position in the top, 2, one of the slats, 12, is loose andentends only part way across the crate, said slat ending a shortdistance beyond the supporting strips, '10, as shown at 13. To theopposite or outer end of the slat, 12, are secured upper and lower eparallel transversely disposed guide cleats, 14, which are of sufficientlength to engage the neXt adjacent slats, 8, on each side of the slat,12, and thereby slidably support this end of said slat, the opposite endof the same being slidably supported between the cross pieces, 10. Oneach side of the slat, 12, and i slidably mounted between the same andthe adjacent slats, S, are short slats, 15, which form the opposite endof the door. The outer end of the slats, 15, normally engage the endcross bars, 7, and strips, 9, and said l ends of the slats, 15 are heldin position and j slidably supported on the adjacent slats, 8, by byparallel transversely disposed guide cleats g 16, which are secured tosaid ends of the lslats, 15, and proj slats, 8, as shown. The oppositeor inner ends of the slats, 15, are connected together by a cleat, 17,which passes beneath and slidably engages the under side of the slat,12. The slats, 15, slide between the cross pieces, 10, and are supportedat their inner ends by said pieces. j Secured to the inner end of theslat, 12, on its under side is one end of a coiled door closing spring,18, which. is arranged below or in engagement with the under side of theslat, 12, and passes below the lower cross strip, 10, and is secured atits opposite end to the cross cleat, 17, which secures the inner ends ofthe slats, 15, together. 'lhe tension of the spring 1S when thusarranged is exerted to force the slats, 12 and 15 outwardly and to holdthe outer ends of the saine in engagement with the pieces 7 and 9 on theopposite ends of the top slats, thus closing both ends of the door. Whenit is desired to BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN- ect across the adjacentllil() l open the end of the door formed by the slat,

the fowls from this end.

12, said slat is pushed inwardly or toward the opposite end, of. thecrate against the tension of the spring, is, which will serve' toincrease the tension of' the spring and therby more rmly'hold the slats15 in 4a closed position against the opposite end ofthe crate. Asnsoonas the slat l2` is released, the same will be y.drav'sfn to aclosedposition by the spring. In the same manner when itis de# sired to openthe door at the opposite endV of the crate, the slats, 15,` are movedinwardly or toward the opposite end of the crate, thereby stretching thespring in the opposite direction and causing the tension of the same tobe exerted in more firmly holding the slat, 12, in closed position.

In order that the sides of the crate may be iirmly braced, I provide' asuitable bracing mechanism comprising upper and lower wire rods, 19 and20. The opposite ends of the upper rod, 19', are passed around the outeredges a-nd upper sides of the upper strips oi thel side pieces 3,adjacent to the outer sides of the end pieces, said ends of the rodsbeing then passed downwardly across the inner edge of the upper stripsof the side pieces, after which they are passed around and twisted orotherwise secured to the adjacent ends ci the upper cross piece, 7, ofthe ends of the ciple or sacrificing any of crate as shown at 2-1. Thelower rod 20 has its ends passed around the projecting ends' of lowercross pieces, 7 of the ends of the crate as shown at 22. The central orloop portions ofthe rods, 19 and 20, are then brought together andtwisted asY shown at 23, thereby stretching said rods and holding thesides and ends of the crate in rigid engagement.

A crate constructed as herein shown and described will be strong anddurable and will eiectually resist the rough use to which such cratesare subjected, and by providing' a door for the same constructed asherein shown7 the fowls may be readily removed from either end of thecrate, and when the door at one end is opened, the door at the oppositeend will be closed, thus preventing the escape of Freni the foregoingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, theconstruction and operation of the invention will be readily understoodwithout requiring a more extended explanation. j

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction inlay be resorted to without departing from the prinj ablythe advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims'.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim las new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a crate of the character described, a door arranged in the upperside thereof, said door being constructed of spring projected sectionswhereby when the section at one end of the crate is opened, the sectionat the opposite end will be lreld in closed position, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a crate, a door formed of slidably engaged sections, a springconnected to said sections whereby they are projected in oppositedirections to close both sections of the door, and means to slidablysupport said sections on the crate, substantially as described.

3. In a crate, a door formed in sections to close both ends of anopening formed in the4 crate, one of said sections comprising a slat jand the opposite section a pair of slats slidably engaged with theopposite sides of the slat forming the other section, means toK supportsaid slats in slidable engagement with the crate, and a spring connectedat its opposite ends to the inner ends of said slatted j sectionswhereby the latter are forced out- Iwardly to closed described.

the lower side pieces 6 .and secured to the position, substantially as4. In a crate, a door formed in sections to close both ends of anopening formed in the crate, one of said sections comprising a slat andthe opposite section a pair of slats slidengaged with the opposite sidesoi' the slat forming the other section, transversely ydisposed guidecleats secured to the outer ends of said slatted door sections andadapted to slidably engage the adjacent portions of the crate wherebysaid ends of the door sections are supported in operative position,cross strips arranged on the crate to support the inner ends of saidslatted sections, and a spring' connected at its opposite ends to theinner ends ci' said slatted sections whereby they normally projected totheir closed position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

DANIEL TURNER.. l/Vitnesses:

GEO. NEWE, M. H. CoLLrNs.

